Details about Deir al muharraq monastery

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Deir al muharraq monastery | Al Muharraq monastery

Details about Deir al muharraq monastery

05 16, 2023

The Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary

The Holy Family took shelter there after leaving Palestine, fleeing the oppression of the Romans and King Herod for 185 days, the longest period they spent in Egypt. It is the Monastery of Our Lady, one of the most important stops on the journey of the Holy Family, and one of the most famous Coptic monasteries in Egypt, which has been called ‘the second Jerusalem’.

The place has a special sanctity in the hearts of Egyptians, Christians and Muslims. The patriarchs of the church refused to inaugurate the place, emphasising that it was inaugurated by God himself, according to the vision of Pope Theophilus, the 23rd Pope of the Egyptian Church. This is where the Holy Family lived and the monastery is known as the Monastery of Our Lady of the Assumption, and is known as the Monastery of the Burnt Virgin.

The monastery is surrounded by a large wall and gardens, while inside the monastery is the fortress where its inhabitants were sheltered from Berber attacks, in addition to the water well, the monks' residence, the churches, the monastery's headquarters and the hostel.

Colleges and institutes located in the monastery There is a seminary. During the reign of Pope Shenouda III, he took an interest in the seminary and saw that the intermediate department located in Cairo should be moved to the Consecrated Monastery, and the most suitable place for it was the monks' school in order for students to get used to the rural atmosphere away from the lights of Cairo, and for the Consecrated Virgin Monastery to have a scientific mission that contributes to the service of the seminary, where the intermediate department was moved to the Consecrated Monastery.

In 1982, the intermediate section was transformed into the higher section, i.e. by accepting high school graduates and equivalent diplomas, where the student studies for 4 years, after which he obtains a bachelor's degree in theological and ecclesiastical sciences.

The Didymus Institute for Reciters and Choristers was established in the late 1970s to graduate church choristers and choristers who are indispensable to the Coptic Church because they specialize in the regular practice of the church ritual and live it daily. The duration of study at the institute is five years in which the student receives some educational curricula, in addition to melodies and church rituals completely, such as ‘A study of the Old and New Testaments, church history, memorisation of psalms, Coptic language, Arabic language, arithmetic’.

The monastery's festivities are not limited to Christians only, but some Muslims participate in them because the Virgin Mary is shared by all, and everyone participates in celebrating her feasts and festivities and the monastery is open to all.

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The Monastery of the Virgin "Deir Al Muharraq", in the governorate of Asyut, is considered to be one of the most important Christian monasteries and sanctuaries and Coptic monuments in Egypt. Deir el-Muharraq is the oldest monastery in the world. It is a famous and historic site located in the northern Nile valley, north-west of Asyut in Upper Egypt. The monastery is a place of pilgrimage, refuge and vows. The monastery founded by the holy Egyptian family dates back to the fourth century and, according to the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the monks believe that Mary and Jesus lived in the cave for six months and ten days after fleeing Herod. The church of Al Azraq stands above the grotto and is the oldest Christian church. Monastic life has existed here since the 4th century.

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